Easy Vegan Beans and Greens
Beans and Greens, one of the healthiest vegan meals you can make! And so easy to cook it can be on the table in minutes. Perfect for those busy nights.
When eating vegan, most meals you create should be focused on giving your body the nutrients it needs.
This can sometimes mean whipping up a fancy dish or two, but it USUALLY means cooking with completely no-fluff, straight-ahead whole foods which are packed with the vegan nutrition you need.
The following recipe for Easy Greens & Beans is just one example of a dish that's so simple to whip up, yet really packs a nutritional punch.
First of all, it includes Swiss Chard, which is just one example of the dark leafy greens you should include in your diet each and every day. Not only will eating dark green leafies count towards your veggie servings for the day, but in addition it's important to include dark green leafy veggies specifically.
Swiss chard, by the way, has one of the highest Vitamin K contents of any food out there. This contributes to bone health.
You can feel free to switch the chard out for any dark green leafy you like, such as Collard Greens or Kale.
This healthy dish also includes beans, which is an extremely important part of a healthy vegan diet. Beans offer us a great source of protein. I use black beans here, but you can switch them out for your favorite bean. Visit our Bean Cooking Guide to learn more about cooking this protein powerhouse.
I have also included brown rice in this dish, but you can skip it if you want to just focus on beans and greens. But DO include whole grains in your daily diet because these complex carbs contain concentrated energy your brain and body need to function. Visit our Whole Grains Guide to learn all about cooking these important foods.
VeganCoach.com is all about teaching you how to easily maintain a healthy vegan diet. And it really doesn't get too much easier than this!
The KEY to getting a healthy meal like this on the table IN MINUTES is to pre-cook your beans and whole grains. Set aside one day each week to pre-cook a big batch of whole grains and a big batch of beans. Then place in air-tight containers and store in the fridge until needed. Vary the beans and whole grains each week.
Then you just pull out what you need at mealtime. You'll have your meal together in just a fraction of the time most recipes take to simply read through and gather the ingredients.
Yes, it's THAT easy to eat right on a vegan diet.
Easy Vegan Greens and Beans
Serves 2
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup pre-cooked black beans
1/2 cup pre-cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
3-4 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard
1-2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
Dash red chili powder
1-2 Tablespoons ground seeds of choice (such as pumpkin, sesame, sunflower)
2 Tablespoons B-12 fortified nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste
1. Heat a large pan and add the veggie broth. Let simmer for a few minutes before adding the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2. Add your pre-cooked beans and pre-cooked rice, adding a little of the bean cooking liquid (or just use water or veggie broth) if needed to add moisture. Add the Tamari. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed. Turn heat down to medium-low, top with Swiss chard and cover until chard wilts. (The liquids you've previously added will help to steam the greens and prevent the grains from sticking.)
3. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed throughout. Serve.
Tip: Some greens tend to be bitter. To offset this inherent bitterness, add a touch of sweetener such as pure organic maple syrup or coconut nectar, if desired.
Delicious AND good for you. Score!
Happy cooking!
Next: Tempeh Burrito w/Creamy Almond Sauce
